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New York State courts that performed naturalizations during the nineteenth century included the county courts of common pleas (pre-1847); the county courts (post-1847); the Court of Chancery; the Supreme Court; the higher city courts in New York, Brooklyn, Albany, Rochester, and Buffalo; and (rarely) the county surrogate's courts. After 1906 only the New York Supreme Court could perform naturalizations, and in most counties it has ceased doing so. The county clerks' offices are the custodians of naturalization records created by all New York State courts (except for the Supreme Court and the Court of Chancery before July 1, 1847). The fullest guide to naturalization records held by the county clerks is Ralph Roberts, comp., Naturalization Records in New York State (New York State Council of Genealogical Organizations Publication no. 1) (Syracuse: 1996). Other lists of naturalization records in New York are provided by James C. Neagles and Lila Lee Neagles, Locating Your Immigrant Ancestor: A Guide to Naturalization Records, rev. ed. (Logan, UT: 1986), pp. 111-13; and George K. Schweitzer, New York Genealogical Research (Knoxville, TN: 1988), pp. 203-52. Older naturalization records in most of the county clerks' offices have been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. Albany County and City naturalization records for the period 1821-1978 are in custody of: Albany County Hall of Records, 95 Tivoli Street, Albany, NY 12207.
